Family hopeful Clarke Carlisle will make ‘full recovery’

His wife, Gemma, has taken to social media site Twitter this lunchtime to thank the public for their backing and added: “Clarke still very poorly but we’re hopeful he’ll make a full recovery.”

She also thanked the media for their “restraint”.

Mr Carlisle, a dad of three and former Professional Footballers’ Association chairman, was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary after an incident around 7-30am last Monday on the A64 near Bishopthorpe earlier this week.

The former York City, Leeds United, Burnley and Preston North End defender was hit by a lorry and his injuries were, at first, believed to be life-threatening.

In mid-December, Mr Carlisle became chairman of the board of trustees of The Kaleidoscope Plus Group, a charity which promotes positive mental health and wellbeing, and it is one of several groups to offer its support to his family

On its website, the charity reported that Mr Carlisle’s fellow trustee and former professional footballer Darren Moore has had contact with the PFA and Mr Carlisle had suffered “head and knee injuries”.

As well as being an ambassador for mental health charity Mind, Mr Carlisle works as a football commentator for both ITV and Absolute Radio after gaining a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting from Staffordshire University.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman has said the lorry driver involved in the incident had not been injured and was being offered support.